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Attach J - Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting June 7, 2018 - Commissioner Input (Added 6/8/18)Parks & Recreation System Master Plan | 1 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JUNE 7, 2018 COMMISSIONER INPUT – Commissioner Davis (provided the written response below): Memorial Park is our largest community park and we need to keep in mind our entire community when redesigning it. There is the opportunity to do things here that we could not do at other parks in the city. After looking back at all the various community input, and the presentations and meetings that came before the commission dating back to 2016 when the process first started, I have reached the following conclusion: I am in favor of the Active and Multi-use Concept for Memorial Park presented at the May 17, 2018 Community Priorities Workshop. The community needs, and there is a lot of desire for, a large aquatic center and a multipurpose gym. These facilities would appeal to and serve our families, our youth and our seniors. It is also possible that these facilities can be revenue generating. This plan incorporates new facilities while also retaining and improving many of the well-used features of the park. We do need additional meeting space and reserve-able venue space in our city – hopefully these new facilities can address that deficit. Specifically, in regards to this plan, I’m glad to see an expanded play area for the pre-school (shade please!), a renovated and expanded amphitheater event space, the improved indoor/outdoor link between Quinlan courtyard and the event lawn, and a walkway along Anton Drive. I’m not sure we need a water feature around the gazebo. There is a lot of concern about water usage and the geese. I think it important to keep in mind connectivity to neighborhoods and adjacent streets to encourage walking and biking. The future Cupertino Loop bike/ped path will connect to Mary Avenue and to the park! While a performing arts center appears to be important to our community I believe we would be better served if it was located at either Vallco or Main Street. The Mt. View Center for the Performing Arts is a great example as it is integrated into a downtown with nearby restaurants, bars, etc. A teen Center/maker space is important but I think the best location would be near the library, a school, or other popular teen location. In conclusion, I would like to see Memorial Park focus on Active and Multi-uses as well as continue to be the venue for festivals and the special events that already occur there. 2 | Parks & Recreation System Master Plan Parks and Recreation Commission – June 7, 2018 Vice Chair Biyani: - Memorial Park is a critical park and the center of the City. - Keep the site for the large events use. - Smart use of space such as vertical growth and multistory/multipurpose uses. - Increased parking spaces will need to be considered (such as underground parking). Would benefit the streets and neighbors. - More indoor/outdoor space connections, such as sliding doors that open up buildings during the summer days, and have banquet space that could host more than 300 people. - Supported the Arts and Events concept. - Liked certain features of the other plans, such as the improved parking lot at Quinlan and improved sidewalk access at Anton Way. - Supports having a smaller performing arts center. Commissioner Wilson: - Memorial Park is the Recreation Center of the City; keep the Quinlan, Senior, and Sports Center and build around them. - Supports multi-use, multipurpose gym and the fitness theme. - Voted for the Active and Multi-use concept, but keeping the open space for the events, and adding more meeting spaces, both indoor and outdoor, small and large. Could add these to the pool facility or expand the Quinlan Center. - Supports both an aquatics and performing arts center. For the performing arts center, suggests building that in the City’s center, such as Vallco or in downtown, close to restaurants and retail. - Supports multistory buildings and rooftop use. - More parking needed (underground preferred). - If we build a new performing arts center, would need substantially more parking to accommodate it, or build it in a corridor that has transportation. - Suggested upgrading the Memorial amphitheater instead of a performing arts building at this site. Chair Tambe: - Supports the Active and Multi-use concept, but with Memorial Park as the Recreational Center of the City, parking must be made available. If a multistory or underground parking isn’t built, then expanding the services in the park isn’t feasible. - Supports the multistory gym with the rooftop usage and the Senior Center expansion. - Add more small group picnic areas to replace the displaced ones. - On the improved courts idea, supports outdoor basketball courts at Memorial. - Memorial Park is not the best location to have the performing arts center. Better to build at Vallco or to partner with De Anza and utilize the Flint Center or the Visual and Performing Arts Center. - For the aquatic facility, if parking is an issue, then remove aquatics. Could partner with outside organizations to meet those needs. - Transportation strategies should be used to reduce parking and traffic, create incentives for those who bike or carpool to the park and for seniors, and install more electric charging stations. - Build a city transportation system to alleviate the traffic and parking issues. - More electricity outlets throughout the park or poles with solar panels and outlets for cell phone connections for the public. - Change the Senior Center into an inter-generational activity center. - Build the all-inclusive play area in a different park and not Memorial. Parks & Recreation System Master Plan | 3 Parks and Recreation Commission – June 7, 2018 Overall Recommendations: - Keep Memorial Park primarily a recreation center for the City. - Focus on increased parking/reducing traffic, vertical multistory structures, and more activity centers and multi-use buildings. - Use the Active and Multi-use concept as a base, but to possibly remove the aquatic center (if increased parking isn’t feasible) and enhance event and festival space, including the amphitheater. - Improve the current features of the park and add on a transportation circuit or trail or loop to increase connectivity to the park.